M̓ac̓inuxʷ Special Forest Management Area

Grizzly bear walking through a forested landscape

About this partnership

Kwiakah First Nation is leading an innovative approach to conservation through the creation of the M̓ac̓inuxʷ Special Forest Management Area (SFMA) on the central coast of British Columbia.

The project marks a shift away from industrial logging toward a "living tree" tenure that prioritizes healthy forests, thriving wildlife, and a strong future for the Kwiakah people. Covering more than 8,000 hectares, the Special Forest Management Area doubles the amount of protected land within Kwiakah territory.

Through the support of people like you, BC Parks Foundation helped purchase and protect private lands within the project area, working alongside Kwiakah First Nation, Nature United, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Province of BC and other partners.

Why is this partnership important?

For generations, Kwiakah people have cared for these forests and waters. The creation of the M̓ac̓inuxʷ Special Forest Management Area represents a new model for conservation: one that protects nature while supporting Indigenous leadership and long-term stewardship.

The forests provide important habitat for grizzly bears and countless other species while storing carbon, supporting healthy watersheds and helping strengthen the resilience of one of the world's great temperate rainforest ecosystems.

Voices from the partnership

“We as Kwiakah people have a vision of the future — where nən (grizzly bears) and their cubs roam through the mossy, misty forests of our territory, finding a bounty of berries, roots, and fish to eat, and where Kwiakah youth only know their forests as protected and abundant,” says Chief Steven Dick of the Kwiakah First Nation.

“We are grateful to the Kwiakah Nation for their steadfast dedication to conservation and all of their hard work—and it is always a lot of hard work to forge a new path,” says BC Parks Foundation’s CEO Andy Day. “It was also great to see so many other partners working together for the forests, grizzly bears and communities in the area. Temperate rainforests play a vital role in mitigating climate change, storing carbon and producing the oxygen we breathe. It doesn’t get more important than that.”

Looking ahead

The M̓ac̓inuxʷ Special Forest Management Area demonstrates what is possible when Indigenous leadership, governments, conservation organizations and communities work together. By protecting these forests today, Kwiakah First Nation is helping ensure this remarkable landscape continues to support wildlife, store carbon and sustain future generations.